This is a paper written as a partial fulfillment to the requirement of Contemporary Issues in Usuluddin subject. Any citation is allowed as long as it does not breach the rules and ethics, and please do not plagiarise.
Muslim is a person who
embraced Islam. Islam came from the Arabic root word “aslama” which means to submit,
and Islam means submission of one’s own will to the will of Allah s.w.t. Therefore, a Muslim is the one
who submit his own will to the will and laws of the only true god worthy of
worship; Allah s.w.t.
The modern period began in the 17th century until
the mid 19th century. In this period, the world has been exposed
with so many new ideologies rooted from the ideas emerged in the Renaissance
period. Modernism dominated the society
in that particular time as secularism has came to its peak.
Rene Descartes as the father of the modern philosophy has
laid down the basic scheme for the subsequent ideologies to follow. His famous
Cartesian doubt has brought the concept of reason’s independent from
revelation. This concept was then applied in almost all modern ideologies,
including modernism.
Modernism has several characteristics, namely; devoid of
God and religion, emphasis on capability and superiority of human reasoning
over revelation and it function as the sole faculty in attaining truth and
knowledge, science as authority replacing religion, and every single thing in
this universe is the product of natural causes and circumstances, not of God or
by interference of Divine Power and Intelligence.
Education is the process of receiving and giving
systematic instruction; the process of teaching, training and learning,
especially at school and university, to improve knowledge and improve skills
(Hornby, 2010). Education also sometimes occurs naturally or informally through
experience and observation.
Integration is the act or process of combining two or
more things so that they work together (Hornby, 2010).
Islamization is the act or process of reconstructing and
reorganizing modern disciplines from Islamic perspective.
Knowledge is the information, understanding and skills
that is gained through education or experience (Hornby, 2010).
History
“Read, in the name of
your Lord who created!”. This first revelation sent down to the Prophet (pbuh)
signifies the great emphasis put by God for mankind to search for knowledge.
“Read” connote the importance of knowledge in man’s life as guidance and
monitor in everything that one do, speak, and think. This revelation and many
other verses in the Holy Book Quran have encouraged the Muslims, especially in
the medieval period, to seek knowledge and to demonstrate to other the miracles
of God’s creation. Muslims were the pioneer of the establishment and
development of natural and social science.
The emergence of science in Islam can be traced way back
to the history of Islamic Golden Age, between the 8th and 16th
centuries. The Islamic Golden Age was the most important and triumphant period
for Islam as at this time, Islam has attained its utmost progress and
achievement in many aspects; religious, politics, social world, knowledge and
technology. This period of time was really important to the development of
knowledge and technology. The establishment of Bayt al-Hikmah or the House of
Wisdom by Caliph Harun al Rashid has shown the great emphasis on knowledge at
that time by the leader. This building has become the centre of knowledge,
where translation works were done here. Then, under the sponsorship of Caliph
al-Ma’mun; the son of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, Bayt al-Hikmah took a new
function related to mathematics and astrology.
The Holy Quran, as stated before,
contains hundreds of verses reflecting the knowledge and science. From the most
obvious, observable knowledge to the complex, complicated science, Quran has it
all.
“The Qur’an offers
hints that could lead to major discoveries if followed up diligently. This is
why earlier generations of Muslim scholars, who combined Qur’anic knowledge
with scientific curiosity and competence, excelled. Contemporary scholars have
analyzed Qur’anic references to various scientific subjects and have produced
major texts in astronomy, embryonic biology, the movements of bees, mountains,
Earth’s composition, plants and many other subjects. Even those who deny the
presence of science in the Qur’an have to admit defeat when studying such
verses as 96: 1-5 (embryology) and 36: 36-40, 91: 1-4, 21: 30, 55: 7, 79: 28,
and many others (cosmology). These hints give useful insight to researchers as
well as blessings and encouragement to Muslims to engage in science. If pursued
intelligently and without bias, such hints can lead to startling discoveries
and inventions.” (Kiyimba, Gulen, Unal, & Mermer,1998,p 12)
Among
the first scientists in Islam is Ibn al-Haytham or known in West as Alhazen. He
has contributed in the physics with his research in optic. Other Muslim
scientists are Jabir ibn Hayyan who distilled vinegar and made nitric acid,
al-Razi who made Plaster of Paris and studied antimony, alKhawarizmi in
astronomy, Ibn Sina in medicine and many others.
Science’s development and advancement
in Islamic civilization has declined in parallel with the declination of
Islamic civilization. The decline (science’s decline), which began around 1100
CE, was nearly completed two hundred and fifty years later. This was due to
several factors; external and internal.
In the view of Professsor Abdus Salam; the first Muslim Nobel Laureate
to receive the prize in the Sciences, the demise of living science in Islamic
civilization has occurred much earlier due to internal factor; namely the
inward-tuning and the isolation of our scientific enterprise, and the active
discouragement to innovation (taqlid). Then the periods were the decline began
is the period where intense politically –motivated, sectarian, and religious
strife occurred.
“The Ottoman scholar Katip Chelebi’s
penetrating judgement related the decline to conceptual problems which were
mostly political in nature such as the Crusades in the 12th century
and the destruction (especially of libraries and men of knowledge) by the
Moghul invasions in the 13th century. He also related the
deterioration to several economic factors such as the decline of the importance
of the Silk Road, and the accompanying shift of economic power from Islamic
countries to Europe as a consequence of the geographical discoveries that took
place in the 15th and 16th centuries.” (Kocabas, 2006)
Renaissance in Europe took place in the 17th
century. Europe has come out from The Dark Ages into the era of knowledge and
development. Since then, Muslim countries were colonized by European countries.
This is where the real problem began. The colonial power brought together the
ideologies from the West and penetrated these ideologies, i.e secularism,
rationalism, modernism, into the Muslim society. Modernism, as an ideology devoid of religion,
and put great emphasis on human reasoning and judgment as the mean of attaining
truth and knowledge, is contradicting the Islamic tenets and values.
Muslim scholars lost confidence to deal with modern
science and became over conservative. They were left behind with their
traditional knowledge as they did not master the knowledge left by the great
scholars of medieval ages, and they also refuse to accept the knowledge brought
by the West.
These scholars,
particularly the traditional religious scholars saw no need to reform the
knowledge and education of the Muslim.
By time, Muslim
countries attempted to adapt to modernism in the aspect of education.
There are three
positions in this issue:
1.
Total rejection. The group of people who
subscribed to this stand is the extremist, who only learn traditional Islamic
knowledge, like in Malaysia, the people who study religious knowledge in
traditional religious school called pondok.
2.
Total acceptance. The group of people who
subscribed to this viewpoint is the one who were in secular education and
science stream. For example, in Malaysia, the people who totally accept
modernism in education were the one studied and are studying in secular schools
such as Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and other schools.
3.
Accept the positive aspects and reject the
negative aspects. The group of people who subscribed to this stand includes great
figures like al-Faruqi, Iqbal, al-Attas, and present day societies who are well
versed in education and Islamic knowledge.
Science nowadays is the weakest part of Islamic
civilization. There are only a few Muslim scientists who are noticeable and
recognized by the world, in contrast to the Western scientists. As Islam and
Western diverse in terms of religion, the same thing happens in this very
aspect of science. Though science as knowledge should be accepted globally,
parts of it has been subject of clashes between both Islamic world and Western
world. The dispute between Islamic science and Western science began much
earlier in the history of Western science, where the Westerners credited their
development in scientific knowledge to ancient Greek. They denied the
contribution of Muslim scholars to things they called “modern sciences”.
Intellectual tradition of Islam does not distinguish
science and philosophy. Both issues are crucial, and stressed, because it was
among the first to enter the Islamic world through the works of translation
from the Greek and India. But unfortunately, today, the Muslim world suffers
from the fact that many of the knowledge of the spiritual tradition depends on
Western studies of Islamic philosophy and sciences. (Nasr, 2007)
Case Study
International Islamic
University of Malaysia: Model of the Outcome of Integration and Islamization of
Knowledge.
The
idea of an international Islamic education institution was first conceived in
1982 by the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during a special meeting between OIC leaders to
establish an international institution for tertiary education based on Islamic
principles, known as the Islamization of Knowledge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Islamic_University_Malaysia).
It was then actualized and officially established on 23rd May 1983.
In the beginning, IIUM was not started with the Kuliyyah of Islamic Revealed
Knowledge and Human Science though it was based on those Islamizing principles.
Instead, it started with the establishing of Kuliyyah of Economics, Ahmad
Ibrahim’s Kuliyyah of Law and Centre for Language and Pre-University Academic
and Development.
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is the
first higher learning institution in Malaysia to implement the concept of
integration of knowledge. Therefore, it is not an overstatement to say that
IIUM is the model for the integration of knowledge. For years, IIUM has
excellently produce graduates with both Islamic and contemporary knowledge who
eventually served the nation and Ummah. IIUM’s achievement is rooted in its
vision and mission:
IIUM’s Mission
11)
Integration
22)
Islamization
33)
Internationalization
44)
Comprehensive
Excellence
while
its vision are;
- Undertake the special and greatly
needed task of reforming the contemporary Muslim mentality and integrating
Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences in a positive manner.
- Produce better quality
intellectuals, professionals and scholars by integrating the qualities of
faith (iman), knowledge (`ilm) and good character (akhlaq) to serve as
agents of comprehensive and balanced progress as well as sustainable
development in Malaysia and in the Muslim world.
- Foster the Islamization of the
ethics of Muslim academic and administrative staff of IIUM, and certain
aspects of human knowledge- particularly in the social sciences and
humanities- with the view to making them more useful and more relevant to
the Muslim Ummah.
and many more.
Scheming through IIUM mission and vision, it is
apparently noticed that this institution put great emphasis on integration and
islamization of knowledge. Instead, these two missions are the priority in the
education here. The implementation of integration of knowledge in IIUM can be
seen in various plans; particularly involving Kulliyyah (Faculty) of Islamic
Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and Kulliyyah of Economics and Management
Sciences. The major-minor programme and double degree programme within these
two kulliyyat arethe major testimonies, while several other testimonies can be
seen in the other kulliyyat; in term of subjects learned and values instilled.
Example of study plan
for major-minor programme
Major in Usuluddin with
minor in Psychology
Generic skills
Bahasa Melayu
English for Academic Purpose
Arabuc for Academic Purpose
|
Co-curricular
Halaqah 1 & 2
Leadership & Parenting
Basic Counselling Skills 1 & 2
|
Fundamental
Courses
Ulum Hadis
Ulum Quran
Fiqh Sirah
Islamic Aqidah
Islamic Ethics
Quranic Prophetic Text
Survey of History and Islamic
Civilisation
Critical and
Creative Thinking
Madkhal ila al-Fiqh
Madkhal ila Usul al-Fiqh
Dirasat fi Ulum al-Quran
|
Common Core
Courses
Logics for Islamic Studies
Methods of Da’wah
Islam and Modern Ideologies
History of Western Philosophy
History of Islamic Philosophy
Statistics for Islamic Studies
Islam and Religious Pluralism
Research
Methodology
Contemporary Islamic Movement
Islamic Social
Institution
Arabic for Islamic Studies
|
Concentration
Course
Issues in Tasawwuf
Contemporary Religious Moral
Issues
Contemporary Issues in Usuluddin
Philosophy of Science
Usul al-Din I
Usul al-Din II
Philosophy of Religion
al-Firaq
al- Islamiyyah
Modern Muslim Thinkers
Quranic
Perspective of other Religion
|
Psychology
Courses
Introduction to Psychology
Islam and
Psychology
Research Methodology
Statistics
Psychology of Learning
Personality
Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Social
Psychology
Child Psychology
Psychology of Religion
|
There are underlying
issues in the integration of knowledge.
1. The objective: To gain hidayah (divine guidance)
In Islam, the
purpose of education and knowledge is to gain hidayah (divine guidance). Research in both religious sciences and
rational sciences is crucial in attaining hidayah. Research in religious
sciences is meant more to guide behaviour (e.g to differentiate between halal
and haram food) while research in rational sciences is meant more to answer the
questions of how (e.g how the food was processed), to describe and understand
behavior (e.g why people in some context do not abide by this halal/haram
ruling) (Alias & Noor, 2009). Integration between these two sciences will
aid the process of attaining hidayah by providing more information and
understanding on God’s miracle of creation, thus making the knowledge attained
more beneficial to the seekers and people around.
2. 2.The integration
between science and religion
Modernism brought
rational sciences into the Muslim countries. It is a need that Muslim learns
this knowledge with true foundation and true understanding. IIUM integrate
religious knowledge and rational science with reference to the fact that, in
Islam, both sciences and knowledge study the signs of God. Religious sciences
are derived from the study of revealed sources, i.e Quran and Sunnah while
rational sciences are derived from the study of universe as the phenomenal
signs of God. This situation forms the basis for integration of religious
sciences and rational sciences.
3. 3.Integration of
Sources of Knowledge
Modernism denies
revealed sources or sacred texts of religion as the source of knowledge. The
same goes to human emotions and instincts; they are all cannot be considered as
the source of knowledge. In religious science, which is to say Islamic studies;
revealed sources, senses, reason and heart are the valid sources of knowledge.
They are inseparable from one another, but can be differentiated according to
their functions and benefits (Alias & Noor, 2009):
•
Senses function to perceive empirical-material
objects
•
Reason capture non-empirical objects, such as
mathematical and metaphysical entities
•
Heart perceive non-empirical realities
immediately without any representations or symbols
The case of IIUM
reflects integration of sources of knowledge especially in the economics, laws,
and social sciences subjects, not to exclude natural sciences.
4. Integration of
Scientific Methods
In research of any field, quantitative and qualitative
methods play their own important roles.
Particularly in social sciences, both
methods are complementing one another in proving a theory or in conducting a
research. Experiments, correlations, case studies, and naturalistic observation
are the commonly used quantitative methods.
These methods are proven not
contradicting Islamic religious sciences, for example the case in Rasulullah’s
time when Rasulullah came across a date palm plantation while the workers are
doing cross fertilisation. Rasulullah said that it is unbeneficial. They
withdrew from doing it. When the yield of dates decreases, Rasulullah commented
that “ you know better your own worldly matter” (Alias & Noor, 2009). This
situation shows the importance of experiment. Qualitative methods concerning
people and the information obtained from those people are more appropriate in
situations involving feelings, emotions, attitudes, ideas and so on. In IIUM,
particularly in human sciences division, integration of Islamic knowledge and
social sciences are seen in the research done by the students, in which both
methods were being used, or else it is integrated in the product of the
research.
References
Alias,
A., & Noor, N.M. (2009). An integrated methodology for the social sciences.
In Noraini M. Noor (ed.), Psychology
from an Islamic Prespective: A Guide to Teaching and Learning, Kuala
Lumpur: IIUM Press
Kiyimba, A., Gulen, M.F., Unal, A., & Mermer,
Y. (1998) in Ali Unal (ed.) (2007), Islamic Perspectives on Science: Knowledge
and Responsibility, New Jersey: The Light, originally published Izmir:
Kaynak
Kocabas, Sakir (2006), Islam and science. In Rais Ahmad (ed.), Islam
and Scientific Debate: Searching
for Legitimacy, India: Global
Vision Publishing House
